


Odds Fish

by pene



Category: Sports Night
Genre: F/F, Female Friendship, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-01
Updated: 2010-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-06 23:03:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pene/pseuds/pene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At first it seemed comical.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Odds Fish

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna/gifts).



> Thanks to furies for spot on beta work.

Natalie never forgets that Dana is an exceptional television producer.

She does admit that forgetting is understandable. This instant, Dana is tangled up in a pair of khaki stretch pants, one leg flailing across her office.

"Looks like we'll need to shift 9," says Natalie.

She speaks too loudly because she's diligently overlooking the flailing. She doesn't need to ask what Dana is doing. Natalie was in the room for the incident.

("Lapsang Souchong," Dana read from the dangling tea bag label and promptly knocked Jeremy's mug of tea across the sound board pouring tea down her thigh. An impressive leap from Kim saved the equipment and probably the evening's show. Natalie makes a mental note to ask Kim about her heretofore unsuspected athleticism)

"Franklin's talking about making some moves before the trading deadline," Natalie continues. "Will thinks it's Umar and Menzies but Jeremy-"

Dana interrupts while hopping in circles, "Move 4 and 5 back. Tell Casey we're gonna need ten… no fifteen extra at the back."

Natalie considers Dana for a long moment. "Would you like a hand?" she asks politely.

"With?" says Dana. "Oh the pants. Nope I've got it. Deal with Casey. And tell Kim she's on Franklin watch."

It sometimes seems that Dana is more than one person. At any one time at least one of those people is involved in a pratfall, a mishap or a disaster - sometimes all three at once. There's another Dana whose brain contains a comprehensive list of production notes, schedules, ratings and the precise colors that make her anchors look awkward on air.

"And tell Danny to take a second look at his opener in 6." Dana tugs too hard on her pants, overbalances, and sits on her office chair with a thud.

"In case you're wondering, I think Umar's safe," says Natalie and leaves.

*

They kissed once.

It was a good kiss, even an excellent one, despite the tequila, and the fact Natalie really needed to pee. It seemed comical, two straight women in the bathroom at Anthony's, smiling against one another's lips. They were full of margaritas and exclusive Sports Night joy and Dana was wearing a suit.

It wasn't simply the suit. It was the hooded flick of Dana's eyes when they heard first hints of the story. It was the way Dana knew how the numbers would move before Casey and Danny stopped talking.

At first it seemed comical, kissing Dana. Then Dana pressed Natalie against the mirror and it wasn't comical any more.

Natalie won't kiss Dana again. It was an excellent kiss, but Natalie spent the next week disturbed by Dana's alternating lunacy and competence. Sometimes Natalie wanted to shake Dana. Other times their arms brushed and Natalie couldn't find a breath to take. They didn't talk, save in short bursts of essential information.

"Has anyone updated the stats?" "What are we closing with?" "Casey needs you in 15."

Before Dana arrived on the Thursday, Natalie decided to she needed to pour her heart out to someone. It was unfortunate that Casey was in love with Dana and Dan would never stop talking about it as long as they both lived.

"Guys," Natalie said to Will and Kim. "If I tell you something will you promise not to tell Dan? Or Casey. And definitely don't tell Isaac."

Will considered for a moment. "Probably?" he offered.

"He means yes," said Kim firmly. Natalie ignored her misgivings.

"Hypothetically," she said. "If two people in an office environment, a radio station say, can no longer work together because of a foolish, spur of the moment decision that they both probably regret-"

"Did you kiss Dana?" said Kim.

"No," said Natalie and stood to leave. "If we ever speak of this again, so help me I will make your every waking moment a nightmare. You will step into the office, come to this job you love, and wish you were a zookeeper or a cakemaker or an actuary so you could leave and never come back."

"Right," said Will and turned back to the screens.

"You too, Kim."

"I'd make a decent actuary," said Kim.

Natalie started updating her resumé, planning for a new career on a lifestyle channel. She imagined herself fretting about the flowers in the background of a shot and counting the layers in a trifle. It was going to be awful.

By the end of the week Natalie was exhausted. "Something has to be done," she said aloud in the control room.

"Are you still talking about the Dana thing," asked Will. "Because I think we agreed not to talk about that."

"I didn't agree," said Kim helpfully.

Natalie approached Dana in her office. She took a deep breath. "So there was that," said Natalie. Dana was sitting at her desk.

"That?"

"That kiss," said Natalie.

Dana looked directly at Natalie. "That was a good kiss, Natalie," said Dana, "But don't even think about putting it on your resumé."

Things went back to normal.

*

When Dana comes out of her office she's sorted out some kind of sarong. She looks ridiculous, half romantic getaway; half office accountant. Natalie watches as Kim carefully hands Dana the rundown. It's going to be one of those days where the team tiptoes around trying to protect Dana from imagined calamity and misfortune.

Natalie's pretty sure Dana knows what the rundown says before she glances down at the paper.

"Right," Dana says, walking, "Will, get me visual on Oregon. Kim, is Franklin on the phone yet? Jeremy, I need stats for 7. Someone, what is going on with these graphics? Have we sorted the lead between 2 and 3?"


End file.
